Sky For Wolf
by pielove
Summary: Sora Sarutobi is declared killed in action three years before the Kyuubi rampage. Kakashi Hatake has to deal with yet another loved one being taken away from him. Or does he? (A little bit OOC and AU)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Umm..hi everyone. I'm new in this site and I wish to say thank you and credit this story to my beautiful beta. Thank you for helping me out and editing my mess story. Give her lot of kiss and bear hugs**

**Beta: itachiboutit**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage of Konoha, gazed down at his enemy with hatred. He mumbled and cursed over it, while the ANBU that hid in every corner of the office snickered and laughed silently at their leader's hardship. Oh, they can clearly tell that the 'enemy' every adult faces will never be defeated.

The enemy that every nin from chunin to Hokage is faced with. But...this "enemy" in more commonly known as paperwork.

The Hokage's hand dropped his metaphorical sword and looked around the room and eventually to the door with longing. Usually, his daughter would come around, if only for a moment, to relieve him of his 'enemy'. Sarutobi Sora twin to Asuma, both of them almost the same, but extraordinarily different at the same time.

The two were quite laid back, but despite this fact, his daughter was an early graduate of the Academy, even earlier than the renowned Hatake Sakumo's son. Despite the Hokage's beloved wife Biwako's worries, she saw this as an opportunity for the two young chunin to become good friends, even though Sora's admittedly overprotective brothers would seethe upon a blossoming relationship between the two.

As much as he vouched for Sora and her ability to take care of herself, even Hiruzen worried over his one and only daughter. She was a skilled youth and Hiruzen had no doubts that she'd take the shinobi world by storm, but he worried that she might not be able to connect with those her own age, a concern he shared with the White Fang of Konoha. Their shinobi world was trapped in a time of blood, gore and cruelty. While they needed all the manpower they could get, having a village full of emotionally stunted nin wouldn't do much to create a peaceful world.

His daughter, though, was more well-rounded than he ever gave her credit for. While maintaining an understanding of how dark the world could be, she had an affinity for making friends, even managing to break through Hatake Kakashi's mask of indifference and standoffishness.

Despite both Kakashi and Sora becoming chunin and jounin at the same age, she preferred to wait a year to accept the ANBU position. Hiruzen had reason to believe that Sora could have advanced before Kakashi, but he suspected that the bond between Sora and Kakashi had become too strong for the latter to leave her dear comrade behind.

Hiruzen initially thought that Asuma would be jealous of his twin sister, born only a few minutes after him. She was making so many strides at such a young age, while he barely scraped chunin level. However, Asuma was genuinely happy for his sister, while he was a little cautious about the elusive prodigy that was Kakashi, it wasn't long before they were friends too.

But there was a certain quirk of his daughter's that Sarutobi could have done without: she could be quite sarcastic— something he was sure she picked up from Kakashi. Sora possessed such a sense of dry wit and snippiness that sometimes Biwako and Hiruzen himself had to scrub her mouth, much to the amusement of Asuma and their oldest son, Ryu. But thinking back, he could stand a little of Kakashi's sarcasm. He was lucky that Sora had been in the company of the young prodigy rather than a certain youthful nin.

* * *

In one of Konoha's dango café, a nin clad in green spandex and orange leg warmers started to sneeze quite violently, causing his silver haired companion to blink up from his book.

* * *

Hiruzen shook his head. What good would it do thinking about his late daughter in such a way? Mighto Guy was as phenomenal a shinobi as Kakashi nowadays, having made use of his taijutsu affinity.

But if he was being honest, he thought with a slight smile, his sons would've done anything to prevent that particular personality type from invading their home lives, and was secretly happy that it was Kakashi that became close to the impressionable Sora.

Impressionable. Hm, Hiruzen pondered. That wasn't quite the word that did her justice.

Sora was...brilliant. One of their greatest nin, in fact. Possessing his wind-style made her strong in battle, but she kept a sharp mind as well, being able to analyze the slightest detail in any code. She had a chakra control the far rivaled her superiors, possessing a hypersensitive sensory skill, and had taken up a bit of medical ninjutsu to hone her chakra abilities.

Yet, his daughter's skill and personality was also the source of his regrets. He still remembered the day all too clearly.

His one and only daughter, who had just officially become a member of the ANBU, was assigned a mission more dangerous than he should have given such a young child.

Flashback

Sarutobi Sora, newly and officially apart of the ANBU, looked at her father with an impassive face, which was enough to make Hiruzen halt.

Sora never had such an expression on her face. She normally held a smile, no matter what the circumstance.

"Hokage-sama," Her clipped tone and use of title alerted him to the seriousness of her request. "I am asking that you take action against your student."

"Orochimaru?" He frowned, "On what grounds?"

"Do I have to explain it to you, sir?"

Hiruzen was growing quite tired of her dancing around the subject. Daughter or no, he required at least some semblance of promptness.

"What are you talking about, Sora?"

"Your precious student," she hissed, her façade of professionalism falling apart. "Is engaging in activities that stray from shinobi morals— no, human morals."

"You're referring to Orochimaru's experiments are you not?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

He leaned back in his chair, "As far as I am concerned, Orochimaru's experiments are monitored. I have gone in myself to see that his experiments don't go too far into dangerous territory and from what I have viewed, Orochimaru's research deals with the progression of modern day jutsu."

"Father," Sora broke. "I'm begging you to make him stop. What you have seen and what Orochimaru actually works with are completely different. He experiments are unethical, he's trying to—"

Hiruzen held up a hand, "I won't have anymore of this Sora. If I see that Orochimaru's experiments require further investigation, then I will see to it. You, however, may not engage the subject further. That is an order. I'm afraid you're too close to the situation."

Growing up, Sora was never fond of her father's favorite student, showing a contempt that only grew over the years.

"But—"

"Enough." THe Hokage silenced. "Orochimaru and all his affairs will be under my jurisdiction. Not yours. Do you understand?"

She glared at him with narrowed eyes, "Fine. If you must know, Hokage-sama, I don't like the feel of his chakra when he's around me, or anyone else for that matter. My hunches are more than often right. If you care at all for the village's safety, then you'd go into that lab of his and burn it to the ground."

Sora placed her mask on her face and disappeared from view, leaving Hiruzen rubbing at his temples.

ANBU status gave his very outspoken daughter jurisdiction to go in and out of his office as he pleased. Perhaps he hadn't thought that part out too well when recommending her for the special ops. The Hokage assumed that his daughter would be mature and not abuse that power and his relationship towards her, but she was only a child after all.

Hiruzen considered Sora's plea from a tactical standpoint. He had known Orochimaru for some time now. The Hokage treasured each one of his former students dearly but he often felt closer to the snake nin, even regarding him as close as one of his own.

His children, however, didn't take too well to the gifted shinobi constantly earning their father's praise. That further proved the emotional standpoint. Could this be another act of defiance from the twins?

Asuma had already mentioned Orochimaru to him. Saying that he wasn't a real shinobi— just some two-faced villain dabbling in the dark arts.

But something about Sora had seemed a bit off. Perhaps he would further inspect the matter, but that, he decided, based on the rudeness of his daughter's exchange, would be for a later date.

* * *

"Good morning, Squad Gin." Hiruzen looked over the ANBU. He handed the scroll that contained the mission details to the squad-member Kitsune.

She opened the scroll and began to commit the information to memory when she suddenly stopped, frowning beneath her mask, "May I speak, Hokage-sama?"

He didn't miss this underlying anger in his daughter's voice that still remained from their earlier conversation, but she was mature enough to not address it outright, focusing on the mission at hand. He supposed she could be mature when she wanted to be. "Yes, you may, Kitsune."

"Apologies Hokage-sama, but this mission sounds like a trap to me."

"Kitsune," Hawk sharply addressed his teammate. He took the scroll from her hands and began to read over it himself, pausing when the young ANBU's words seemed to ring true.

He cleared his throat, bowing in front of their leader, "I apologize for Kitsune's insubordination. From now on she'll know to stay in her place."

Even through the mask, Kitsune could tell her senpai was glaring daggers at her. She was the youngest member on their squad and according to her superiors, the most arrogant.

"Regardless of the fact that you're the Hokage's daughter and some sort of prodigy, in the ANBU, none of that matters. You take orders from your superiors and that's it. You are in no place to question us."

"But," Hawk straightened, "I must ask that you further explain the situation of this assignment."

Hiruzen smirked ever so slightly, glad that they were using their brains rather than taking orders blindly. Mindless assassins were the last thing they needed.

"The mission goes as you see it written. I want you to take extra precautions given the nature. This mission is a week long but if you anything goes amiss retreat immediately. It is imperative that no one follows you. Do I make myself clear?" Squad Gin exchanged a glance at the sternness of the Hokage's tone.

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" and just like that, Squad Gin vanished, paperwork scattering around the Hokage's office. Hiruzen's brow twitched. He wished they had a neater departure. Another gust of air followed and his papers were suddenly stacked on his desk.

He chuckled to himself, Thank you, Sora-chan.

* * *

The mission that Squad Gin received was simple and relatively easy for an A-rank. However, they could tell that there was something wrong with the assignment. But their Hokage knew best. It was a scouting mission after all, so they didn't say much. The bad feeling that had formed in Sora's gut only grew as they neared the rendezvous point.

Before she left on her mission, she wrote a small note to her twin brother who was supposed to have lunch with her and a quick note to a certain person. Cheeks ablaze, she quickly burned the second note, as her dear friend had a tendency to sneak up on her unannounced. Coming up behind her and catching a glimpse of what she wrote would have been mortifying.

There was no reason to worry. So far, they were making excellent time. They were nearing the Kusa border, and suddenly her senses were on high alert.

Her team had already stopped. Five enemy shinobi, she gauged.

The offending shinobi had just come into their sight when her team was suddenly surrounded. She cursed inwardly, eyeing the dozens of shinobi that surrounded them, they must have had seals that completely hid their chakras.

A battle broke out, and Kitsune could tell that the shinobi had been expecting them. But why was the million ryo question still lingering in her head. Omu was downed first, being shot from underground. Uma-senpai battled two jounin while Kirin fought another. Kitsune had her hands full with two jounin and Hawk came to her aid shortly after.

These shinobi weren't like any regular enemy. They had monstrous strength and a chakra reserve that didn't seem to let up. They were coming in what seemed like hordes. What started off as one squad member versus one or two enemy nin, became three, which became five…

As skilled as their squad was, they were outnumbered.

Sora seemed to be in the center of it all, with the shinobi all migrating towards her. Her teammates fought valiantly to protect her, to shield her from some of the onslaught but their struggle was in vain and they were struck down before her very eyes.

She caught sight of Hawk, her last remaining teammate and desperately tried to get to him. The last thing she saw was Hawk's eyes widen in shock before everything went black.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, Hawk sent a summon! Code Black!" Dread filled Hiruzen at the sound of the fatal code.

"Send anyone who's the closest" Kami-sama, Sora. Hiruzen prayed for his daughter's safety.

The young ANBU who was tailing the Hokage froze, begging to whatever higher power was up there that she was alright.

* * *

Hiruzen's heart dropped when he saw the state of the sole survivor of Squad Gin, and it was apparent that he wouldn't last long, the wounds too deep.

The ANBU Inu went numb upon seeing Sora's senpai, the last remaining member...

His mind instantly started to replay the last conversation he had with Sora. What was it again? I-It… It was…

Hawk's breath became ragged and he ignored the medics trying to calm him down. "A-amb-ambush…Hokage...sama...I-I couldn't...Sora…Orochi...mar…" Hawk slumped over and just like that he gave out his last breath.

The room grew solemn at the news and Hiruzen slowly processed the information. His daughter, his beloved sky had been right. And all he had done was write her off as a child, too immature in the ways of a shinobi when really, she knew the whole time.

Inu suddenly blinked himself out of his trance. His last memory of Sora replaying itself in his mind.

"What are you doing?" He'd asked. They were on a hill overlooking the village, masks lying side by side. Kakashi opened an eye to glance lazily at her.

She stopped, looking down at him, "I'm making flower necklaces."

"Aren't you too old for that kind of thing?"

She puffed out her cheeks and scowled at him, "Aren't you too old to be picking on everyone all the time?"

"No, I don't think so," He responded easily.

Sora turned her eyes back towards her craft, muttering, "Hatake Kakashi, you're the meanest shinobi in the entire village."

He had shrugged, closing his eyes. Not much longer after that, something landed on his face. He picked up the chain of flowers and looked at Sora.

She had been smiling.

Kakashi felt a flurry of emotions surging through him then. His head was full of things that he should've said, should've done.

Not Sora, she can't be. Not her too.

"Hokage-sama…" Hiruzen turned around when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in." The kunoichi Inuzuka Kana entered the room.

"Hokage-sama, there's a message for you." Kana handed the message over to the Hokage. He unfurled it quickly, hoping desperately that it held some indication that his daughter was alive.

"Who sent this?"

The Inuzuka responded, "I was about to finish my rounds when I found the scroll right in front receptions. It said that it was for you. I didn't smell any trail on it though."

"Are you absolutely sure there is no trail at all?" Again Hiruzen asked, knowing perfectly well that there was no better a tracker than an Inuzuka. His reason was crumbling along with his grip. He wasn't quite sure how long it would be until he broke.

"Hai, Hokage-sama"

Hiruzen nodded, unfurling the scroll. A familiar seal unlocked and the contents materialized on his desk. Almost every shinobi in the room could feel their Hokage's killer intent radiating off him in waves.

His daughter's left hand and her blood soaked ANBU mask laid on his desk for all to see.

Kakashi felt nausea wash over him. He blanched under his mask feeling his knees go weak.

His former sensei stood beside Kakashi, watching him out of the corner of his eye. When he staggered, Minato caught him by the shoulder, steadying him.

"Are you alright?" The Hokage-in-training asked. The silver haired nin just wobbled under his grasp, making no move to respond.

His father, his teammates, and now the girl he…

Hiruzen knuckles turned white as he gripped his daughter's mask. As calmly as possible, Hiruzen asked that the… evidence be taken to the lab for further processing. His shinobi nodded, all filing out, silently giving their condolences.

Hiruzen was left alone in his office. He slowly glanced around the room, time moving slowly as everything registered within him and finally he crumpled against his desk upon seeing the neatly stacked papers on the edge of his desk.

* * *

Sora's death was enough to break the Sarutobi family. Asuma was never the same. His carefree attitude disappeared and for once, he began to take his role as a shinobi seriously, he trained harder than ever, intent on honoring his sister's memory. Hiruzen recalled what polar opposites they had been in work ethic. Asuma's transition was a bit unnerving. As for his oldest son, Ryu dedicated his life to the ANBU, applying only a few short weeks after her funeral. Biwako was in shambles, often found hugging her daughter's kimono, crying into its fabric. As for Hiruzen, well, he was the Hokage. He had a village to protect. For Sora.

End Flashback

Before Hiruzen went to finish off another enemy, the door to Hokage's office swung open, revealing the gatekeeper.

"What is the meaning of this, Kotetsu?"

The eternal chunin took a moment to catch his breath, alerting Hiruzen to the urgency of the situation.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone. Here is the new chapter, credit this story to my beautiful beta. Thank you for helping me out and editing my mess story. Lots of kiss and bear hugs. Let's, enjoy the new chapter, shall we? ladies and gent?**

**Beta: itachiboutit**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The rumour of Sarutobi Sora's return spread like wildfire among the village. Their sky had come back from the dead. What they didn't expect, however, was the rumor that followed her return: the truth about her disappearance.

Only a few people knew of the snake Sannin's betrayal, but the rumor's flames couldn't be quelled once reignited and it raged throughout the village, falling directly upon one Hatake Kakashi.

The line Hatake had grown used to hardships and the tragedy that his life had become but even he held some hope that Sora would come back. She'd never leave him behind, a small part of him insisted.

She was far to invested in the well-being of others to truly be gone— well, his well-being, at least.

He often remembered the first thing she said to him in their academy days like it was yesterday. Looking back, he was too young to understand the feelings that grew for her in that day, but now he regarded his ignorance with nothing but regret. If only he had been a bit braver, if he had told her how he felt before, then...

If Hatake Kakashi could admit one thing to himself it would be that he was stupid, albeit a child at the time but stupid nonetheless. He remembered how embarrassed he'd get about having such feelings about his friend. He was the prodigy of the academy. What time was there to think about something as trivial as love?

_Why are you wearing a mask? _Yes, that was the first thing she asked him while other kids were playing outside.

She had been an outcast, too, he remembered. Though that didn't last for long, he recalled being relieved at the feeling of companionship he felt with Sora, even though he refused to speak to her at first.

He had been trying to read but she only laid her head on the table, having just woken up from one of her naps. Sometimes he wondered how she was able to sleep so much and so often in class, yet rival his status as most prodigious.

When he answered her question, she just gave him a sleepy smile, _I didn't ask __about **the**__** mask** that you__'re __wearing__. I'm talking about the one that hides your **emotions**__. I know you a passionate person, so why __do you __hide it?_

Those words caught him of guard. Initially, as a young child, he hated her. What did _she_ know? Kakashi had gone back to respond but she had gone back to sleep, a soft smile on her face.

He had never expected someone to be able to read him like she had. Like he was a book. He thought about what she said for a while before she spoke again. Again she had smiled, _ You can be __honest __with me. Don't worry, I have no interest __in being one of your fan girls._

The young silver haired boy rolled his eyes then. He didn't need to trust her, he had no need to. What were friends in a shinobi world? It took all of two weeks for his resolve to break and he and Sora became inseparable.

So when word reached Kakashi he couldn't be the calm collected shinobi he had grown to be known as. He couldn't hide what he was feeling. Because when it came to Sora, he could always be honest with her. Only her.

Perhaps it was unhealthy that he harbored these memories from his past. Particularly the more painful ones. Uchiha Obito, Rin, and the more recent Namikaze Minato. The pain of loss never quite left him and maybe it would have been healthier to try and forget, to try and move on, but he remained stuck. Each death trapping him further and further in the past.

So when he raced towards the hospital and the feelings of the past almost overcame him, the pain was dulled. Instead it was replaced by the blinding sensation of hope, something that had become lost to him long ago.

He suddenly remembered that necklace she had made for him so long ago. They'd been forget me nots. It was almost as if she'd known she was going to die, as if she had known he would never be able to forget her. She had wanted her memory to live on. He hated her for the pain she'd caused him, but couldn't help but love her all the same.

Even despite the hoards of fanboys that she had, despite the way she had so cruelly ripped his heart out, despite the fact that he'd never worked up the courage to confess to her. He'd love her always.

She was always so clueless, he thought with a smile. How on earth someone as a smart as Sora was clueless when it came to all of her admirers. But he never let it bother him, after all, even with all the boys throwing themselves at her, Sora's eyes were always on him. She had loved him too, he'd realized far too late.

Before he had been wondering how he'd approach her, now though, he needed to ask for her forgiveness as well.

He wished to see that smile again, no, he was going to see that smile again. The smile that she only showed him and him alone. That sunny smile, filled with love and passion that was only for him.

* * *

Kurenai, Anko and Yuugao looked at each other with wide eyes when they heard the rumour about Sora.

The three women had mixed feelings. Disbelief? Shock? Fear? But the main feeling, the most important, was happiness. Happy because their friend had come back to them.

The underlying tone of sadness couldn't be ignored, however. Sora had been so young and for her first ANBU mission to have gone so badly... Kurenai, one of the only ones in the village to have known the truth about Sora and her death due to her... "affiliations" with a certain Sarurobi Asuma, knew that Sora wouldn't recover so kindly to such a failure.

Meanwhile, while there was a general rejoice over the news, Anko had other feelings. Fury. Furious for her good friend over what happened to her, especially if the rumour regarding her former sensei was true.

Yuugao on the other side, still remembered the day when she accidentally heard about the evidence Orochimaru had left the Hokage. She couldn't believe that one of their own would betray them in such a way. It couldn't be true. But when she and Hayate returned home that day, the both of them saw the something even more impossible. Something that filled them with even more sadness and grief.

The loner, the outcast, Hatake Kakashi was sobbing, heartbreak evident. Just seeing the lone Hatake in such anguished state was enough to make Yuugao and Hayate hold each other tightly.

What the two of them didn't know was that there were other people who hiding near the training ground. Maito Guy, Asuma, Ibiki, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, Kurenai and Anko herself. Having heard the news, they all knew that Kakashi would be broken, _shattered_. They could clearly tell how the young Sarutobi meant everything to the young prodigy. The only person who didn't know is Nohara Rin herself.

Rin, one of Kakashi's teammates, had been trying to make her move. Subtle as she was, anyone who had eyes could clearly tell that she had a crush on him. She was included in the few girls who talked to the lone Hatake like he was a proper human being and without squealing at him like some love sick puppies or becoming a blushing mess— well, other than Sarutobi Sora.

Most of the fangirls didn't like with how close the young Sarutobi and the lone Hatake were to each other, in fact, they also knew how the lone Hatake wished that his beloved friend was assigned the same team as him, but alas that was not how fate unfolded. They also knew that the lone Hatake had been wishing for them to become jounin together, but the death Uchiha Obito completely changed the dynamic that the two friends shared.

Kakashi no longer spoke with the young Sarutobi and she even felt even more and more alone than before they had become friends. It was hard to see the pain the two were going through. The young Sarutobi's unhealthy lifestyle became more prominent following their separation.

Before she became a Genin, her unhealthy lifestyle wasn't as out of control as it had grown to be. She didn't do anything bad, mind you. She was practically nocturnal. She was awake and fresh from sunset to the sunrise and only trained, study, and ate, an admirable regime for a shinobi in training, but for a young child to undergo this feat all by herself, 24/7, well, it worried the Sarutobis.

The cycle continued until she met the lone Hatake; they had never seen Sora so happy. She **bloomed**. As elusive as the two prodigies were, Sora's sociability increased exponentially. After Uchiha Obito's death, Kakashi grew distant and distressed so the two spent their time apart, rekindling their friendship— and something much more— a few months prior to her being accepted into the ANBU.

"What are waiting for? Let's go to the hospital." Anko was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. She had to confirm the rumours.

The young Sarutobi's voice was enough to soothe her, because of how she gave out good advice buy also would smack you in the face with blunt truth, which could be quite hurtful, mind you, and more often than not came with her dripping sarcasm, but her intentions were always pure.

Another reason as to why it was so soothing was because of her small voice and how it always sounded so timid. The irony being in the fact that the young Sarutobi was far from timid. It was just hard to tell, as her voice was originally so small and despite the fact that she spoke loudly, the small tone never changed at all and with how cute her face is, that was also enough to make everyone coo over her.

"Wait, Anko!" Kurenai reached for the snake-nin's collar, which she was thankfully able to grab.

"Why are you holding me up! It's Sora! We have to go!" Anko once again tried to run but stopped when Yuugao gave her own two sense, "No Anko, we need to wait. I'm sure Hokage-sama is meeting her and Lady Biwako and _ if he's not on a mission. Give her some time with her family, we can go later."

The purple haired woman stopped her struggling and grew quietly thoughtful.

"And besides," Yuugao added on a lighter note, "I'm sure that a certain lone wolf is practically dying to be reunited with his beautiful sky."

Kurenai and Anko blinked twice before both of them broke out into giggles, feeling like girls in their academy days again.

"Ah, well I guess I can agree with that." Anko rubbed her the back of her head.

Kurenai thought aloud, "Wonder how Asuma will take the news."

Anko frowned at her friend. She knew— **_everyone_** knew that Kurenai and Asuma had been seeing each other for some time now but was too stubborn to admit it.

"What do you mean?" Anko tilted her head innocently while munching some dango.

"Did you forget? Sora is Asuma twin sister."

Anko rolled her eyes, "Of course I didn't. What I want to know is why _you_ care so much about what **_Asuma_** is thinking right now."

Kurenai spluttered, blushing heavily, "I-I, er, I d-don't care! Why would I?!"

Yuugao and Anko both rolled their eyes. They were just as bad as the two star crossed loners from the academy.

* * *

Hiruzen stood rigid after reading the results. After he heard what Kotetsu said, he didn't waste a moment to call for Inoichi and Shikaku to head to the hospital as he, himself needed to confirm this situation.

Arriving at the reported room, both Shikaku and Inoichi waited for him to arrive. As he opened the door and what was waiting for him was enough to make his stop him in his tracks.

There she was lying on the hospital bed, way too pale for her own good and too still. It was indeed his daughter, but her appearance looked nothing of how she had used to.

There was no longer the pretty brunette hair that she shared with her twin, replaced by the whitest hair that he ever saw. Much whiter than Jiraiya's hair too, almost like snow. Her skin had gone from a beautiful fair skin tone that she inherited from Biwako's to the most sickening pale that he ever saw.

Recovering from his initial shock, he asked Kano Takumi, a doctor that had been taking care of the Gekkou Hayate case to give him the results of the blood tests while they waited for the official report.

There he stood with Shikaku and Inoichi, his hand shaking as he read through the results. He could clearly feel the sadness radiating off Takumi and Inoichi the most, while with Shikaku, he could feel a wave of anger that he attempted to mask. He couldn't blame the Nara when he himself was boiling with rage at what he read.

Hiruzen knew that those clearly close with his daughter were also in the mixed state of happiness for her return and fury at the traitor who did this to their Sora.

Not only that, but the head clan of Shika-Ino-Cho also been quite close to his daughter, which sometimes he can't comprehend on how his own daughter can be quite close to the head clan when he heard what his daughter has said to him right in front of those head clan.

**Flashback**

"Of course I'm close with them," A young Sora had just interrupted a meeting of the clan heads and was indulging them in one of her speeches. "After all, Inoichi-jichan is my crush, Chouza and Shibi-jichan are people I admire, Tsume-baachan and Sakumo-jichan are people I respect, and Morino Ibiki is my first love." The Ino-Shika-Cho alongside the Hokage and Sukamo practically choked upon hearing the five year old's statement, yet Sora continued as if she had never been interrupted. Tsume laughed jovially upon seeing Sora nod seriously to herself before saying, "But I'm going to marry Shikaku-jiichan." Again Hiruzen sputtered hearing that while giving a mock-serious glare to the Nara clan head. Even the Hokage couldn't break through Shikaku's cool exterior as the Nara simply smirked good naturedly.

"But why?" Hiruzen lamented while his daughter only quirked her brow and rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Hokage-sama," The Nara head clan objected playfully still retaining his lazy tone. It was not every day that you got to tease your own leader. "You need to be ready for your daughter's proposals. She sure has some gall to have proposed to me."

"I agree with Shikaku. She sure is the alpha material." Tsume said in joking tone, giving a thumbs up to the young Sarutobi. The young Sora smiled widely and returned the gesture.

"Why am I just a crush, Sora-chan? You aren't in love with me too?" Inoichi whined, joining in on the joke.

Sora gave him a pitying smile, "No offence Inoichi-jiichan, but you tend to gossip like a teenage girl and to be honest, I don't like gossip very much." Inoichi sputtered at the actual insult. The Inuzuka clan head once again barked out a laugh while Sakumo could only shake his head with fondness.

"Maa, I didn't know that you respected me and Tsume so much Sora-chan. I'm quite honoured. I wonder what Kashi-chan will feel about that." Oh, Sakumo would surely enjoy teasing his little pup this news. He laughed internally reflecting on Kakashi's excitement whenever word of Sora was in the air.

"Who's 'Kashi-chan?'" Sora asked curiously.

Sakumo winced at his mistake. His son would more than likely give him a hard time if his classmate was suddenly using his personal nickname. While Sakumo nervously laughed in order to stall, the clan heads were hysterical. Their leader, however, sat at the head of the table, mulling over the fact that his daughter had grown up far too early.

**End Flashback**

Hiruzen almost broke reading his daughter's blood test, but thanks to years of training, he was able to keep a neutral face. _'Kami-sama almighty, why do you have to __make me __suffer this__. My__ child__, __I'm sorry for not act__ing__ fast__ enough__. __That day... If only I had... __Please forgive your father, my little Sora.'_

The bile in his throat continued to build. The hand that had been severed from her arm had returned, but not by any natural occurrence. Far from it, he was afraid. By Kami, there was DNA of all sorts embedded throughout her system.

_Is this my punishment? _He wondered. _Is this my punishment for sending him_**_ away_**_? Or is this my punishment for__ turning a blind eye to his research__? Oh, Kami-sama. _

As he was about to speak, Hiruzen felt something soft grabbing onto his wrist. The touch was hesitant, unsure, and Hiruzen believed it to be a hand grabbing him.

A gasp could be heard from one of his ANBU, Tora, and when he looked at his wrist, he saw white hair slithering around his arm. Slowly, he looked to his daughter and traced the sentient hair back to its source. She... she was awake? Slowly the white tresses pulled him towards her bedside.

"Hokage-sama?" Inoichi and Shikaku looked at their leader with worry. Despite the fact that the girl lying on the bed was their leader's daughter, seeing such a strange jutsu was enough to make them a bit wary. Not only that, they didn't have enough information on what had been done to Sora after all these years. For all they knew she could be a weapon for the enemy.

"It's alright Shikaku, Inoichi."

Before Hiruzen could say anything to her, Sora slowly opened her eyes, and looked around. She began to sit up, but stopped upon finally seeing Hiruzen, Shikaku and Inoichi.

Hiruzen looked over his daughter inwardly expressing shock. Her eyes were no longer that lovable maroon colour. Instead, one was the palest blue, almost white eye, while the other was red, bright like those of the Uchiha.

Sora wove a hand sign before anyone could speak. Only a select few knew of that seal and the room suddenly grew alert.

"What do you need?" Shikaku asked.

'_A pencil and paper. I cannot speak, __or_ _r__ead what I __write__. __I can't explain it right now__.' _

Without wasting anytime, Inoichi produced a slip of paper and a pencil. True to her word, Sora scribbled down words as fast as she could, while her eyes continued to stare straight at them. Her eyes remained empty, her face emotionless. It was quite the unnerving site.

As she finished writing, she placed her pencil down and looked over to Inoichi's general location.

_Blank nin behind Hokage-sama, and on the ceiling. Act natural. I place__d__ a seal at the corner of this scroll so no one__ is__ able to read it, except you, Hokage-sama and Shikaku. There's a seal on my chest, back, on __my__ tongue and inside my head._

_I need two nin __with a f__ire __affinity __and two nin __with__ lightning. An acid that only you__, Inoichi, __know how to make using the flower inside your shop __is needed for y__o__u to __remove the seal inside my head. It needs to be done at the same time and at the same moment. _

_The seal is to control me. _

_ I don't have much time. I was only able to hold another half an hour. It will be lost __cause__ if you __are__ unable to remove it, and I don't wish to be a mindless puppet. _

_Pleas__e, __remove this seal. _

Inoichi's eyes widened as he read over the message and looked Sora in the eyes, needing to be sure if this was true or not. Though blank, he could see the truth that rested in them.

"What is it, Inoichi?" Hiruzen asked. Inoichi walked to Hiruzen and presented what Sora had written. Both Hiruzen and Shikaku went into a similar state of shock, but quickly recovered, understanding the levity of the situation.

Shikaku gave a furtive glance over to Tora and Gekko, who had read the message from afar. There in front of their Hokage, Tora and Gekko removed the two blank nin that Sora detected. Shikaku looked over at Sora and saw that she was closing her eyes. It seems his deductions were true: those who were controlling Sora were looking through her eyes which was why she didn't look at what she had written down.

_Clever__ girl,_ Shikaku mused.

"Weasel, Karasu," Hiruzen called. "Find Hatake Kakashi and Morino Ibiki, and bring them here, immediately. Inoichi, you may find that acid. We need to act fast. Go."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen's attention went to the two blank masked ANBU. "Tora, Gekko. Send this two to holding."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

* * *

Kakashi and Ibiki gazed at their Hokage with shock, while the latter spun and looked over to the girl that he had been waiting for. Something in him wasn't clicking with what was before him. Upon seeing Sora, Kakashi's senses shut off and he couldn't register any further instructions from his Hokage.

There lying on the bed was supposed to be the girl who had broken his heart, the one who had caused him so much grief, but she wasn't there. Whoever this was couldn't have been Sora but in his heart— his aching heart— he knew that this white haired, blue and red eyed, pale skinned girl was Sora.

As his brain began functioning again, he picked up in the fact that she had seals scattered throughout her body, meant to utilize her as a weapon.

He knew that there must have been sort of contingency plan if the seals were removed. What, he didn't want to know. He wasn't a seals master, like Jiraiya or his sensei, and he didn't think that Sora was either, but she seemed to know more than anyone in the room about the seals that adorned her body, so they had to take her word for it.

"I… I'll do it." His voice came out small. Why was he so scared? His hands were even shaking. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. No time to lose his grip now, he had to do this.

"As will I." Ibiki answer gruffly, but Kakashi didn't acknowledge it. His only focus was Sora.

Her eyes, no longer the maroon colour that he loved, her hair no longer brunette, like that of Asuma. Her skin was pale, sickeningly so, but it was Sora nonetheless. His Sora, his Sky.

He ignored everything around him and he was making his way to her side when Shikaku's voice came out next to him.

"Patience. It won't take long." Somehow, Shikaku's voice lacked its nonchalance and indifference and broke through to him. Kakashi could only nod dumbly.

_Wait for me?_ Sora eyes seemed to say. What a dumb question, Kakashi thought, feeling like a kid again, Sora smiling sheepishly at his side. Of course, he would wait for her. He waited this long, after all.

"Sora," Hiruzen called to his daughter, uncertain about what to say, but his words were cut short as Sora pulled down her hospital garb to reveal one final seal that rested on her heart.

Kakashi faltered, his bravery slipping out from under him. He felt small, like a child. Sora's reappearance had turned back the clocks.

He was scared. That much was clear to him. It was up to them to remove the seals. One wrong move and they couldn't lose her all over again. He wasn't sure if...

Sora caught Kakashi's eyes and again he froze upon seeing the steel and the fire in them. He swallowed the lump in his throat, Sora giving him the strength to walk right in front of Sora and firmly place a hand on her chest. Karasu followed his lead and put a hand next to his. Ibiki and Weasel put their hands on her back, while Inoichi put his hand on her forehead.

_Wait for me?_

_Of course. Please come back to me. Don't leave. Don't leave me again._

_I won't._

With Inoichi at the healm, he exchanged a look with each of the shinobi present, and raised his fingers.

"Now!"

The five nin connected to Sora began to transfuse their chakra into the girl. Lighting and fire. Inoichi removed the seal inside her head while Sora applied the acid to her tongue.

The lighting worked to remove the seal not only through her skin but through bone and chakra paths, while the fire removed any foreign chakra and seeped to her very core, cleansing her body. It might scar but, with such a high risk of failure, scars were the least of their concern. Inoichi finished last and undid the seal inside her head.

Sora slumped down as the procedure was completed, energy spent, and most likely worn from her journey. Without thinking, Kakashi moved to steady her, hands holding her shoulders

Through her haggard breaths, she managed a smile, "Didn't I say? I told you I wouldn't... leave you... Kashi…"

And in that moment, all was right in the world for Kakashi. He carefully placed the now unconscious Sora back against the bed, and stood while medics rushed to her attendance. For the first time in years, Kakashi found himself genuinely smiling. Tired and a bit shaken as it was, it was real. Sora was back and she wasn't going to leave him again.

* * *

**A/N: I hope all of you enjoy. Have a good day, and until next time. Bye.**


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